Brushing your doodle's teeth

[lindamarie]

It's amazing how some people and vets say not to bother .....that the hard kibble and a bone will clean teeth.
But! Bogart was just 3 when I detected a breath odor, so I took a good look at the back molars. They were turning a brownish color.
I was really upset!

I was at a local pet store and saw this ad on a computer near a product called
TROPICLEAN...FRESH BREATH MADE EASY CLEAN TEETH GEL

I watched the video and then showed one of the workers Bogart's molars. She said it shouldn't be happening yet!
So, I bought a bottle and started to brush him nightly for about a week. Amazingly, the plaque and tartar started to dissipate!

No....he doesn't like it and I have to pry his mouth open and jiggle my finger around to scrub with that little finger brush. He's getting better at it, but still, when he sees the bottle, he crawls in his crate!

I'm beginning to think it should be started the first year after the permanent teeth are in.
I took him in the other day for his heartworm and DPHL. I had the vet look at his teeth and she said they looked good......maybe have them cleaned in about a year.

Bogart seems to not chew enough with his molars. I guess a good bone every now and then might help.......but I have my druthers about bones and they are only allowed outside unless the grease and coating is off of them.
He hates nylabones and it seems the bones, appropriate for indoor use, may have all kinds of junk in them.
I recently found some I will buy online that, like Orijen, don't have those nasty chemicals etc in the them. Plus, I may start getting some butcher bones....big ones.

I will continue to brush a few times a week from now on. I think it's deepnite who has got his dogs in the habit of brushing.....that's a good thing!

[lindamarie]

This stuff must be working! The other day at the gym, this woman told me Bogart's teeth were so WHITE.
She then told me she should know because she is a dental hygienist!
Made me feel really good!

[Nikkiey]

After reading your first post I realized I haven't tried brushing Juneau's teeth since he was probably about 3 months old (he's 9 months now). So I got his tooth brush and tooth paste out, told Juneau to show me his belly, put the tooth paste on the brush and was about to put it on his tooth when *BAM* he was out of there! Mean while I'm still sitting on the floor wondering what just happen staring at the tooth brush thinking, "Huh?!?!"

So needless to say, taking a 6 month hiatus while he was so young was not a good idea and now I have to slowly reintroduce the whole brushing of the teeth process again. Oops!

But on a side note, we do give Juneau 'bone-sicles' (frozen raw bones) which really seem to keep his teeth pearly white, but still, brushing his teeth occasionally is a good thing too.

[deepnite10]

i use the PetZLife on all the dogs..it comes in a gel and spray..also use PlaqueOff..

the spray loosens and softens the plaque and it can be easier to scrape off after a couple of weeks..i pick d up a dental scraper like the one s the dentist use and it works great on Toby..

i use the gel on Toby for his 3 times a week brushing..its a salmon tasting
gel and i have to brush fast or he eats it up..don t use tooth paste for us humans..

the other 2 dogs won t hold still so i use the PlaqueOff on them..you don t have to use alot..it comes with a dinky little scooper..it s real gritty..made of crush d sea shells of some sort..i wet their dog food, add the PalqueOff
..it absorbs into their food..so when they eat, the grit polish s their teeth..takes a couple of weeks befor you see any real difference..

so whether a dog will sit still or not..there s alway s a easier way to keep their teeth clean..

it takes time for the plaque to build up so don t expect it to disapear over nite..even if you brush once a week..it go along ways in preventing dental problem s in the future..*just imagine brushing your teeth just once a week and what the results would be and many people don t even brush their own dogs teeth at all and complain about doggie breath..

[lindamarie]

Nikkiey...that is too funny!! SCOOOOT! Gone!
Bogart is capable of all sorts of contorted positions as I perform this little task.
His neck/head can bend back and away from me like I have never seen.

He's getting a little better, but honestly, I dread it because it's just not enjoyable for him and I feel like I'm in for a nightly fight. DH just sits there and laughs!

I seem to have to use the rubber finger brush.
I bought a 3 sided toothbrush at the pet store, but it appears to be too harsh as one time, his back molar started to bleed.

I do this before bed, because it says no food or water after brushing. I think they want to have the stuff remain in the mouth as it continues to act on the teeth all night.

Deepnite...can you use the Plaque Off in the food without wetting the food down? We are trying with this guy to not add anything, including water, to the food.

[deepnite10]

Originally Posted by lindamarie

Deepnite...can you use the Plaque Off in the food without wetting the food down? We are trying with this guy to not add anything, including water, to the food.

i had wonder d myself..in the direction s it say s to just add to their food..
but, i can t imagine them likeing it much..and the granuals may just fall to the bottom of the bowls..

they may even begin to dislike their food cuz the PlaqueOff is gritty and has no taste..

nothing will replace regular brushing..the gum s will bleed a bit..but, after a while the gums will toughen up and look alot cleaner..i just use a soft bristle brush i got from the dentist..

every little bit helps..there are alot of different products out their..and of course im always looking for the easiest one to use..so far the , though not the easiest..its the best by getting your hands covered with doggie slobber..

[Moosey8]

I use strips of a wash cloth and apply the tooth paste to the wash cloth and then scrub with one finger. My Doodle gets his teeth brushed nightly (along with my Lab) they both have excellent teeth and haven't needed a dental as of yet.

[Jasper'sMomma]

I started brushing jasper's teeth and he LOVES it. He is one weird doodle. I have doggy toothpaste and a cheap brush - in case he decides to chomp down. The 'finger brush' he tries to chew on, so we put that back in the box, lol !

But I agree 100% !!! dental care is important and chewing on bones isn't enough...

[lindamarie]

Speaking of a hiatus...........I've gone lazy on brushing Bogart's teeth for the last week.
It's easier than I thought after JUST NOW reading the bottle!

I use the finger brush. I was doing it at night since they are not suppose to have any food or water for 30 minutes after.
So, the stuff I use is Tropiclean Clean Teeth Gel.

Little did I realize that it doesn't require the grief of fighting with a doodle who has clenched his jaw so tight I have to pry it open!
I guess it can just be applied to the teeth and VOILA! It works on them overnight!

Okay! That's it......we start again TONIGHT!